1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to an improved method and apparatus for automatically identifying and verifying television broadcast programs. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved method and apparatus whereby the television programs are encoded with a digital identification code and then broadcasted on a number of channels. These channels are automatically simultaneously monitored at a typical reception site whereby the encoded programs are checked for audio and visual quality, identified and timed, and this information is then stored in a computer for later access and comparison with a main computer.
Television broadcast programs are comprised essentially of first run or syndicated feature programs and commercials, wherein said broadcast programs are either performed live or pre-recorded for airing at certain times for specific stations. Commercials, as an example for exhibition on television, often consist of about a 30 second program which is inserted at various times during the viewing day by the station according to contracts made with the commercial owner or advertising agency. This is referred to as buying television time spots. Pursuant to a contract, the television station arranges to insert the commercial program in certain times arranged as part of that contract. From time to time, the television station then bills the buyer of the time spot for having aired the commercial. The practice over many years has been that a statement is made by the television station under oath to the effect that the commercials were aired at the times bought and that said airing was within the terms contracted. Upon receipt of the sworn statement and the bill, those documents are compared manually, and if they match correctly the commercial time spot is paid for. However, not all commercials are aired properly and/or at the proper time. This occurs for many different reasons at each of the stations. Therefore, it has become a practice to audit these airings by visual observation. Such auditing is very time consuming, labor intensive and tedious since it is necessary to monitor all of the channels in any particular area on a round the clock basis. As such, only samplings are done for auditing purposes. Specifically, such sample auditing is by contract, and conducted by employees who record what they saw on the television and return such records to their employer for collation and reporting. As can well be imagined, because of the labor intensive nature of the sample auditing it is very expensive and not always reliable.
A further characteristic of the current practice is that because auditing is done directly by people, and not automated, there is a significant time delay in reporting and collating the audits. This delay impedes the advertiser from taking timely action to have any problems as to their commercial corrected. Thus the advertiser is unable to forestall continuous improper airing and wasteful television commercial time.
In addition, this delay in reporting and collating further delays the forwarding of the sworn statements on which payment of the advertising time relies. Therefore, there is a significant time lag for which payment is not made and this results in a loss of the use of the money during that delay time period.
While the forementioned has specifically discussed the particulars of identification and verification regarding commercials, similar particulars exist for feature programing.
Thus, there is a long felt need for a quick, total verification of television broadcast programs, which would serve to upgrade the performance of the transmitting stations and confirm the program airing schedules.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Attempts at automatic program airing verification are known in the art. Methods have been developed for automatic identification systems of programs, including identification coding and pattern recognition, but these methods are substantially limited and have not been entirely satisfactory.
Program identification coding methods have been divided into two general areas, audio and video encoding. Audio encoding (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,391, Crosby) has proven to be unsatisfactory for television broadcasting. In the final report of the Ad Hoc Committee On Television Broadcast Ancillary Signals Of The Joint Committee On Intersociety Coordination (published May, 1978), the Journal Of The Society Of Motion Picture and Television Engineers found the aforementioned audio program identification to be extremely unreliable and caused significant degradation of program signal quality.
Video encoding has also proved to be less than satisfactory for television broadcasting. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,851 to Haselwood et al. for network clearance monitoring, a 48 character digital code is placed onto the vertical blanking interval of line 20. While the use of line 20 reduced the degradation of the program signal quality, the encoding system used therein is overly complex and inadequate. This system utilizes a changed line format for the handling of the data, which requires complex data processing, encoding, storage and verification. In addition, the system is only able to monitor the broadcast of a single network with an inability to scan more than one channel. Moreover, only a method and system for the identification of the program is disclosed with there being no teaching as to the integration and recording of information as to the program's audio and visual quality.